The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-09-17
IN THE ARCTIC SEAS.
An Interesting Paper by Lieu
tenant Schwatka.
AT THE MERCY OF THE ICE
Icebergs Close and at Distance
Their Peculiarities-In the Drifts
The Ice Floes.

In the Atlantic, the great oceanic base
for by far the larger number of arctic
expeditions, icebergs sometimes reach
as low as the latitude of Boston. Thew
are to be dreaded mostly in the night
and sometimes in very heavy or foggy
weather. This danger, therefore, stead
lily decreases as the ship nears the pole
and, when she passes the arctic circle
far enough to encounter perpetual day
light, 1t ceases. 1t is in the lower lat
itudes, and especially during dark, foggv
nights, so common to those regions,
that the sharpest lookout must be kept
and here, also, the berg, meeting
warmer waters and climate, is, in its dis
Indignation, widely surrounded by a
vast debris of smaller masses, most OF
which are equally as dangerous as the
parent. .7a a15''T s'.i sf
There is one popularity of icebergs
that is fortunate for those cruising in
their vicinity; and that Is, their Wis
lolllty at long distances during dark
nights and heavy weather. % ( remember
on the l0thsof July, 1878, while making
for the eastern entrance of Hudson
Strait, and while off the Labradoreeast,
our second mate, a keen eyed Scotch
man, caught the faintest giimmer
ahead, during a misty morning. about
two O'Clock, when daylight was lust
commencing to break. He pronounced
1t an iceberg, and estimated it to be two
or three miles away; and, wearing ship
and laying to, we found in the morning
that he was not any too far out. Of the
way. This colossus of ice was flanked
on either side by its debris for three or
tcar miles, some of the pieces Standing
fully as high as the foremost of our
little schooner. With my unseaman-
like eyes, even with the aid of a power
full marine glass, could only make out
the slightest break in the inky clouds
hugging the horizon: and the mate told
me that the navies of the world, a score
abreast, could have passed between us
and the berg and been invisible. 1t is q
peculiar sheen of their half-polished
faces, characteristic of glacier ice, that
penetrates so far, and under circum-
stances where bank of snow or a ships
sails would not be seen.
So much has been said for and against
the thermometric detection of the pres
ence of ice and icebergs, that | dislike
to open the subject. Generally, if ship
is approaching ice or icebergs, repeated
observations made by plunging a Their
mometer into the water alongside, or a
bucketful from the sea, soon show the
fact by decreasing temperature. These
observations are more valuable in the
summer than in the winter months, and
also the farther south the ice NAV be
encountered, owing 10 the more rapid
change in the observed temperatures
under these circumstances; but as
nearly all arctic navigationis performed
in the brief summer of these regions,
and as 1t is only in the lower ATTITUDES
that the nights at this time are sufi
GENTLY long to cause apprehension, these
observations here become of more value
than in true arctic navigation. In the
winter season, if the temperature of the
water falls as low as "a degrees f. from
a previous higher standard, it may rea-
sonably be inferred that ice is not much
farther away than b alf mile: AZ de-
grees +. shows about the same distance
in the summer, the thermometer falling
rapidly as the vessel approaches. How
ever, the thermometer shows a higher
temperaturein deep than in the shallow
water on banks, shoals, and near the
coast-line, often falling from degrees
to 6 degrees f. as the latter are ap-
preached. But good chart and fair
degree of accuracy in dead reckoning
will avoid confounding this with the de,
crease due to approaching ice. In the
case of an iceberg stranded in a current,
it is evident that even this valuable sign
will fail on the current washed side; so
that when vessel is running with an
ocean-current where berg is liable to
ground, or where, from its great depth.
the berg is subject to some powerful
under-current than exists on the sur
face, the only safeguard is in a vigiIant
lookout. A sailing-vessel, especially if
she be small, should never approach an
iceberg too closely, if there is any
danger of becoming becalmed, especially
in warm waters; as their disintegration
if of colossal nature, is sufficient to
throw quite large ship on her beam
endS, If taken at disadvantage. Sir
John Franklin had the ships pinnace
of the Trent thrown ninety eight feet by
the disruption of an iceberg about half
mile distant, which so completely
stove the craft, that they were forced
to very annoying delay to repair it
before they could return TO the ship.
This rupture had been determined by
the firing of musket by one of the
party.
Before discussing arctic navigation,
as confined to the arctic region, some
thing should be said regarding the vari-
alton of season. Nothing is more ia
vorable to ice-navigation than a pro-
pitious season; and the history OF the
polar zones is repiete with instances
where explorers at different times have
found the most startling variations in
the state of the ice in the same locality.
and at the corresponding time of the
year. So well is this fact appreciated
by experienced navigators of these
waters, that you will seldom find one
eager to give that credit to arctic
nautical success so often fully accorded
by the press and the public. Rightly
estimating that it was not altogether
superior management over his more
unfortunate brethren, but largely due
to the fortunate circumstance of lucky
season, which is a problem defying cal
cuIation. Lieutenant Piper has point
eddy said, 1.-The commander of an ex
pediion must possess sufficient self
control to return as soon as he becomes
convinced of the existence OF conditions
unfavorable for navigation. 1t is better
to repeat the same attempt on second